Gate-latch.



J. H. WENDHAM.

GAE LATCH,

APPLlcMwN FILED MAY 9. una.

@Hoz/new.

Patented Dee. 3, 1918.

y u mslrnxn ne. rnmumn. numero JOHN II. kwIlvDrIAlvI, or UNION, MISSISSIPPI- -G'ATE-LATCH;

To all whom it may. concern y Be it known thatl, JOHN H. WINDHAM, a, citizen of the United States, residing atl Union, in the county"V of -Neshoba, State of Mississippi, have invented a new and useful Gate-Latch; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full,'clea'r, -and'eXact description of the invention, suchfaswillenable others skilled in .the art to which 1t appertains to make and' usetheA same.

The present invention relates -,to.a gate latch operating meansandhasfor its object to provide a deviceof this. character which embodies novel features of 4constructionrwhereby thefk latch of.l agate.. can.` be.

easily operated from either side of the' gate...

and without the necessity of stooping down or reaching over the top of the gate.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a gate latch operating means which is comparatively simple and inexpenslve'in its construction, which can be readily mounted upon any gate and is adjustable to fit different heights of gates, and which can be easily manipulated from the top of the ate. l g With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gate provided with a gate operating device constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view ofthe swinging end of the gate with the gate operating mechanism mounted thereon.

' Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the fulcrum block Aand operating lever, portions being broken away.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View through the clamp which is utilized yto hold the ,extensible link member in an adjusted position.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a gate which may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-meneame'. Application led'MayS, 1918. Serial N '0. 233,506.

of any lconventional construction, said gate:

beingA shown as'hingedly connected. at2 to a'l gate postt3, and as provided at itsswingingI v pivotallymounted `at 8.. betweenlthe" said plate'l 7 andl a bracket arm 9,- projecting therefrom.

tension spring l()` is connectedtdthe I latch member 4f`and extends downwardlytherefrom thelower end ofthe rs pringbeing secured to a bracket 11 which is"fsuitably fastened upon rthe gate.k normally tends to swing the latch member 4 downwardly and hold it in operative position.

A fulcrum block 12 is applied to the top of the gate 1 at a point above the latch member 4, the two ends of the fulcrum block being bifurcated, and the said bifurcations being disposed at right angles to each other. The lower bifurcation 12a fits over the upper edge of the gate and is secured thereto by a suitable fastening member 13. The upper bifurcation l2b receives the middle portion of a latch operating lever 14 which is pivotally mounted upon a pin 15, the two ends of the lever projecting forwardly and rearwardly respectively from the top of the gate and terminating in the handles 14, The middle portion of a spring wire 16 is inserted through the lever 14 at a point adjacent the pivot pin 15, the ends of the spring wire being coiled around the pivot pin on opposite sides of the lever, as indicated at 16a, and having the extremitiesthereof embedded in the fulcrum block. This spring 16 serves to normally hold the operating lever 14 in a horizontal position so that either end thereof may be readily grasped by an operator, although it does not interfere with the necessary movement of the lever to manipulate the latch.

An eXtensible wire link connects the operating lever 14 to the latch 4, said link-'being formed in upper and lower sections e17 and 18 respectively, the former being pivotally connected at 19 t0 the operating lever, while the latter is pivotally connected at 20 to the latch. The meeting ends of the link-.sections overlap each other and each terminates in an eye 21 which slidably receives the other section. At a point between the two vThis spring.1015.l

eyes 21 the overlapping portions of the wire vlink sections are received between the two device is in position,

the latch memberl can be readily manipulated by moving the operating lever 14 in the necessary manner. s Y

Having thus described theinvention,

ters Patent, 1s:-

The combination'with a gate, of a vertically movablelatch member at the swinging end of a gate, avfulcrum block at the top of Copies "of this patent may be obtained for the gate,

connected by a clamping screw 23-` 'tal position,

atinglever andthe latch member, said link a inner i ceives the other section, `and it will be obvious that whaty d desire to secure by Leta latch operating lever pivotally mounted between its ends on the fulcrum block and projecting forwardly and rearwardly from the gate, a spring carried by the fulcrum block and engaging the operating lever to hold it normally in a horizonand a link connecting the operbeing formed in two sections of which the terminating in 'an eye which slidably re-` ing `the overlapping ends of the two sections to hold them in an adjsted position.

In testimony whereof I have signed myQk name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOHNV H.` WINDHAM fWitneses: i` n p W; W. WILLIAMS, f C. R. WINDHAM.

endsV overlap each other, each end.

a clamp engagy ve cents each by addressing the Commissioner vof '.l'atents,` "j

Washington, D. C. a 

